U.S. patent number 4,579,464 [Application Number 06/601,378] was granted by the patent office on 1986-04-01 for electronic clinical thermometer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Yutaka Muramoto, Yasuo Yamazaki.
United States Patent |
4,579,464 |
Yamazaki , et al. |
April 1, 1986 |
Electronic clinical thermometer
Abstract
An envelope of an electronic clinical thermometer has an inner
wall on which is mounted a vibrating element adapted to produce an
audible tone. The portion of the envelope at which the vibrating
element is provided is formed to include a portion that vibrates
together with the vibrating element, when the latter is set into
operation. The mounting arrangement for the vibrating element is
defined in part by a recess formed in the inner wall of the
envelope.
Inventors: |
Yamazaki; Yasuo (Fujinomiya,
JP), Muramoto; Yutaka (Fujinomiya, JP) |
Assignee: |
Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
15363464 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/601,378 |
Filed: |
April 17, 1984 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Aug 9, 1983 [JP] |
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58-144487 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
374/163;
340/384.6; 374/170; 374/183; 374/208; 374/E13.002; 374/E3.002 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01K
13/20 (20210101); G01K 3/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01K
3/00 (20060101); G01K 13/00 (20060101); G01K
001/00 (); G01K 007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;374/170,183,188,208,163
;340/384E,546,586 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
2754090 |
|
Jun 1979 |
|
DE |
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2025093 |
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Jan 1980 |
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GB |
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1575426 |
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Sep 1980 |
|
GB |
|
2113397A |
|
Aug 1983 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Frankfort; Charles
Assistant Examiner: Will; Thomas B.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Frishauf, Holtz, Goodman &
Woodward
Claims
What we claim is:
1. An electronic clinical thermometer, comprising:
an integrally formed one piece envelope having a wall defining a
hollow interior for accommodating circuit components for sensing,
measuring and displaying temperature, said one piece envelope being
sealed liquid-tightly;
resonance means integrally formed in a portion of said wall
defining said hollow interior of said envelope, said resonance
means being defined by a wall section of said envelope wall which
is thinner than the remainder of said envelope wall, thus forming a
cavity in said envelope wall, which cavity opens to said hollow
interior; and
vibrating means which is energizable for producing an audible tone,
said vibrating means being secured onto said wall section of said
resonance means;
said resonance means and said cavity formed thereby being
dimensioned such that boundary portions of said wall section at its
intersection with the remainder of said envelope wall define nodes
of vibration, said, resonance means vibrating in resonance with
said vibrating means when said vibrating means is energized to
thereby produce said audible tone.
2. The electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1,
wherein said vibrating means comprises a piezoelectric vibrating
element.
3. The electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 1,
wherein said vibrating means is mounted in said cavity.
4. The electronic clinical thermometer according to claim 3,
wherein only peripheral portions of said vibrating means are
secured onto said boundary portions of said cavity.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic clinical thermometer,
particularly an electronic clinical thermometer of the type having
a hermetically sealed envelope the interior of which accommodates
an alarm tone generating unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various improvements made possible by advances in electronic
techniques have been proposed for electronic clinical thermometers
in recent years. Among them is an alarm which, when activated,
informs one that a temperature measurement has ended or that a
measurement error has occurred. However, an integrated electronic
clinical thermometer incorporating both a temperature sensing unit
and the alarm in one body has not yet been put into practical
use.
While no particular difficulty is involved in providing the
conventional electronic clinical thermometer with an acoustic
generator, a problem of maintaining liquid-tightness is
encountered. Specifically, unless the thermometer envelope is
equipped with holes through which sound may pass, an alarm tone of
satisfactory volume cannot be obtained, particularly with a
small-size clinical thermometer when inserted into an armpit to
sense body temperature. The holes make it impossible to achieve a
liquid-tight structure. Another drawback involves cleaning and
prevention of infection, for it is known that a surface having
holes or recesses does not readily lend itself to the thorough
washing and sterilization that electronic clinical thermometers
require. For these reasons, a practical electronic clinical
thermometer having a built-in alarm has not been realized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic
clinical thermometer devoid of the aforementioned shortcomings
encountered in the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic
clinical thermometer capable of generating an alarm tone in an
efficient manner.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an
electronic clinical thermometer which is made liquid-tight and
thoroughly washable and sterilizable by adopting an integrated
structure in which the thermometer envelope is devoid of holes for
emission of sound.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an
electronic clinical thermometer capable of being reduced in
thickness.
According to the present invention, the foregoing objects are
attained by providing an electronic clinical thermometer comprising
an envelope having a hollow interior for accommodating the circuit
components of the thermometer, vibrating means for producing an
audible tone, and mounting means formed on a portion of an inner
wall defining the hollow interior of the envelope for mounting the
vibrating means, the portion of the inner wall being formed to
include a vibrating part for vibrating together with the vibrating
means.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting means is a
recess provided at the abovementioned portion of the inner wall,
and the vibrating element comprises a piezoelectric vibrating
element. The hollow interior of the envelope is sealed
liquid-tightly.
Other features and advantages of the pesent invention will be
apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters
designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures
thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the overall construction of
an embodiment of an electronic clinical thermometer according to
the present invention, and
FIGS. 2 through 4 are views useful in describing principal
components of the electronic clinical thermometer of the present
invention, in which:
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view perpendicularly
intersecting the axis of the thermometer to illustrate a portion
mounting a vibrating element;
FIG. 3 is a view showing an enlarged portion of FIG. 2 to
illustrate in detail the manner in which the vibrating element is
mounted; and
FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken axially of
the electronic clinical thermometer and is useful in describing the
manner in which the vibrating element is mounted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1 showing the overall
construction of an embodiment of an electronic clinical thermometer
according to the present invention, the thermometer includes an
envelope 100 for internally accommodating the electronic components
and circuitry that constitute the thermometer. Disposed within the
envelope 100 at the tip thereof is a temperature sensing element
200 for producing an electric signal corresponding to the sensed
temperature of a body undergoing measurement, and for delivering
the signal to electronic clinical thermometer circuitry 300 which
includes a vibrating element drive circuit, and which is adapted to
process the signal from the sensing element 200 to provide a signal
indicative of temperature. The temperature sensing element 200 and
electronic clinical thermometer circuitry 300 employ well-known
circuitry disclosed in the specification of British Patent
Application Laid-Open No. 2113397 laid open on Aug. 3, 1983. A
display unit 400 displays the temperature signal obtained from the
thermometer circuitry 300. A power supply unit 500 supplies power
to each of the loads constituting the thermometer.
FIGS. 2 through 4 are sectional views showing the principal
electronic components and are useful in describing the present
invention. Provided below the electronic clinical thermometer
circuitry 300 including the vibrating element drive circuit is a
vibrator mounting section 101 on which there is mounted a vibrating
element 103 such as a piezoelectric buzzer. The mounting section
101 includes a vibrating portion which vibrates together with the
piezoelectric buzzer 103, and is formed by a recess provided in a
flat inner wall of the envelope 100 constituting the electronic
clinical thermometer, which is of the so-called "flat" type. The
recess has a bottom portion 102 and side wall portions 106, 106. In
a case where the side wall portions 106, 106 are to serve as nodes
of vibration, the bottom portion 102 of the recess constitutes the
abovementioned vibrating portion and, hence, is made thin enough to
form an antinode. As shown in FIG. 3, the piezoelectric buzzer 103
constituting the vibrating element has two of its opposing side
edges cemented to the thin bottom portion 102 by a bonding agent
105. Defined between the bottom side of the piezoelectric buzzer
103 and the bottom portion 102 of the envelope 100 is a cavity 111
having a width decided by the thickness of the bonding agent 105.
With this construction, vibration of the piezoelectric element 103
sets the entirety of the thermometer envelope 100 into vibration,
particularly the thin bottom portion 102 which is especially
susceptable to vibration. The envelope 100 and bottom portion
therefore emit an audible tone. A projecting electrode 107
connected to the piezoelectric element 103 and a metal leaf
electrode 108 connected to a printed circuit board 109 bring the
piezoelectric element 103 into electrical contact with the circuit
board 109.
Thus, an output signal from the vibrating element (piezoelectric
buzzer) drive circuit, which is set into operation by an output
from the electronic clinical thermometer circuitry 300, is applied
to the piezoelectric buzzer 103 via the circuit board 109,
projecting electrode 107 and metal leaf electrode 108. In response
to the output signal, the piezoelectric buzzer 103 develops strain
which is transmitted to the vibratory bottom portion 102, causing
the latter to vibrate and emit an audible tone. Vibration of the
bottom portion 102 also causes the thermometer envelope 100 to
vibrate and produce an audible tone, as set forth above.
It should be noted that an audible tone of considerable volume can
be obtained as the result of resonance if the natural frequency of
the vibratory bottom portion 12 is the same as that of the
vibrating element 103. However, a tone of fully satisfactory volume
is produced and, hence, the objects of the invention are achieved,
even without equivalent natural frequencies.
Owing to the above-described construction of the electronic
clinical thermometer according to the present invention, setting
the piezoelectric element into vibration to produce sound causes
the side wall portions 106 to act as vibratory nodes, induces
vibration throughout the entirety of the thermometer envelope 100
and enhances the sound-generating effect of the vibrating portion
102. Moreover, since the section 101 mounting the vibrating element
103 is constituted by the recess provided on the inner side of the
envelope, and since the recess accommodates the vibrating element,
there is no obstacle to reducing the electronic clinical
thermometer in size and thickness even though the vibrating element
is installed within the thermometer. All of these advantages are
realized by the provision of the vibrating element mounting section
101 having the vibrating bottom portion 102, which is formed by
reducing the thickness of the envelope 100, the latter being of a
unitary, liquid-tight structure. Accordingly, the electronic
clinical thermometer of the present invention features a perfect,
liquid-tight seal, is easy to wash and sterilize and is highly
durable.
As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present
invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope
thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *